Movement ecology of commercially important fish throughout an Arctic great lake - Research Affiliate Program

Important messages

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Assessment accommodation

When submitting an application to this selection process, you will be prompted to answer screening questions concerning the essential education and experience qualifications. When answering these questions, please provide detailed, concrete examples that clearly demonstrate how you meet the requirement. Failure to clearly substantiate how you meet the screening criteria may result in the rejection of your application. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information.

Duties

We are seeking a graduate student to conduct a funded PhD (up to 4 years) project on the movement ecology of fishes in Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. The position will be based at Trent University (TrentU), Peterborough, Ontario, and will be co-located at Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The main duties include:
- Access a large-scale acoustic telemetry array to establish foundational patterns of movement and behaviour of focal fish species;
- Investigate the environmental, physiological, and trophic drivers to govern the spatiotemporal movement and habitat uses of ecologically important fishes;
- Co-lead and participate in extensive field surveys in an Arctic great lake;
- Interpret data, and publish results in government reports and/or peer-reviewed journals;
- Interact with DFO science and resource management, Government of Northwest Territories and aboriginal community members to address integrated fisheries management and conservation questions;
- Participate in Great Slave Lake Advisory Committee seasonal meetings, DFO Science and Resource Management joint planning meetings or Northwest Territories Geoscience meeting to update research progress and outcomes;
- Present major study results at the academic and non-academic community’s consultation, workshop and conferences.

Work environment

The Department of Integrative Biology at Trent University is located in Peterborough, Ontario. The Department of Integrative Biology addresses complex environmental problems that cross conventional disciplinary boundaries. The Arctic Aquatic Research Division (AARD) of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), is based at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The AARD provides information and advice to support the integrated monitoring, assessment and management of Arctic fisheries resources. Successful management and conservation of these resources depends on acquiring, interpreting and sharing biological information, the processes affecting them and the ecosystem of which they are part.

Under the supervision of Dr. Graham Raby (Trent University) and Dr. Lee Gutowsky (DFO), the successful candidate will participate in a holistic range of fieldwork, with a primary focus on acoustic telemetry and spatial ecology with potential expansions into field-based ecophysiology, morphology, stable isotope analysis, and genetics. Focal fish species are lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and inconnu (Stenodus nelma), while research objectives include:
i) investigating the efficacy of current fishery management zones based on the spatial ecology of focal species,
ii) evaluating the performance of acoustic telemetry in determining patterns of fish movement and behaviour at large scales, and
iii) investigating the mechanisms underlying patterns of fish movement, such as predator-prey coupling, difficulty of migration, and other ecophysiological drivers.

This position offers a competitive stipend, including graduate student benefits, and support for 4 years, including participation in conferences. The successful applicant’s appointment will be with Trent University. The successful candidate will also spend time at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg and communicate research design and prospective deliverables with Great Slave Lake Advisory Committee (GSLAC) and Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT).

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

Contact information for 3 references.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in Biology, Environmental Science or Resource Management and currently enrolled or willing to enroll in a doctorate program at Trent University’s Biology Department (proof of enrollment will be required before the work term starts).

Degree equivalency

Experience conducting quantitative statistical analyses using R.
Experience analyzing large datasets.
Experience designing and conducting field and laboratory-based research in demanding conditions, potentially involving long field seasons.

**In the context of student recruitment in the federal public service, experience can be acquired through studies, work experience or volunteer activities.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

English essential

Information on language requirements

Ability to communicate orally and in writing.

Initiative.
Innovative.
Interpersonal relationships.
Organized.

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

Experience working with application of acoustic telemetry to assess spatial movement and aquatic animal population dynamics.
Experience in biostatistics, ecosystem modeling and ecophysiology.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - Each student hired through the Research Affiliate Program (RAP) must meet the security requirements of the position as a condition of employment. Therefore, the student will be asked by the hiring organization to complete security-related documents.

Valid Health Canada medical.
Travel to, and work from, remote areas for up to a month.
Work on evenings and weekends on occasion.
Maintaining your student status is a condition of employment. Once you have defended your thesis, you are no longer eligible for the program.

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

Interviews may be conducted in Winnipeg, MB, Peterborough, ON, or remotely. Candidates from outside the Federal Public Service will be required to pay for their own travel expenses.

Reference checks may be sought.

An alternative format (such as Braille) of this notice and Statement of Merit Criteria are available upon request.

Candidates invited to attend an interview will be required to bring proof of their education credentials, in the form of a diploma or official transcript (original documents only). Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at http://www.cicic.ca/indexe.stm.

Candidates will be communicated with via e-mail. In your application, please include the e-mail address that you wish to use for communication purposes throughout this recruitment initiative. It is your responsibility to verify your e-mail account on a regular basis.

Please apply online.

Preference

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.